


3am Insomniac

by Shinku_Seishin



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Insomnia, Sad, alchohol abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-25
Updated: 2017-03-25
Packaged: 2018-10-10 08:29:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10433601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shinku_Seishin/pseuds/Shinku_Seishin
Summary: Max struggles with a lot. Her schoolwork, self esteem, confidence and a lot more could use improving. Maybe someone can help with that.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Just some shit I'm writing at 2am. 3am just sounds better in my head.

Blue light illuminates the hazy dazed eyes that stared, unreading, at the Wikipedia page of some famous photographer that Max wouldn't even know the name of if you asked her right now. Despite having started at their page for a good 20 minutes now. Blinking for the first time in 10, Max sighed and resigned herself to another wasted night, stretching her arms up and gasped a little when her spine clicked and the ache she didn't know she had in her shoulders announced itself. 

 

The time read 12:50 late for most, but practically day time for Max, who hadn't slept in 3 days. If you asked why she hadn't slept, she'd tell you about studying all night and then would only be able to answer one question in ten. 

 

Max knew this would get her no where, her grades were tanking and if she didn't improve her scholarship would go bye bye and she would be carted off back to Seattle in disgrace. She wouldn't be able to reconnect with Chloe, which Max had still been putting off doing despite being in town for months. Something about thinking of seeing her childhood friend again made her heart shrink and her lungs turn inside out. It scared the hell out of her. Max knew exactly how the old Chloe would have reacted, she'd be mad and not talk for a day and then slowly would let her friend back in. But this was a Chloe that had lost her dad, and then her best friend had left, when you pile that under 5 years..Max didn't know if Chloe would hug her, actually kill her or both. 

 

So Max did what she'd been doing every night, she listened to her music and did everything to occupy her time that she did while awake. She doodled in a sketchbook, wrote bad nihilistic poetry, played some casual video games. But tonight was different, thinking about Chloe had given Max that adventurous energy that they both always had.. and Max wanted to look at the stars. 

 

Having not bothered to change into bed chlothes, up she got in her trademark jeans, shirt and jacket. The corridor outside was dark and illuminated only by the emergency exit light and from the cracked open bathroom door. The stairwell was better lit, clinically white bulbs shielded behind tough frosted plastic, someone had clearly busted them in the past. Up she climbed, up and up until she hit the door to the roof which was almost never locked. It wasn't really Samual's fault, he'd been blackmailed by the Vortex Club's female members to keep the roof doors to both dorms unlocked so they could smoke up here. 

 

Walking out, Max took a deep breath of the chilly November air and a soft smile crept on her face as she tipped her head back and stared up at the beautiful night sky, filled with stars. She nearly jumped out of her skin when someone to her left cleared their throat. 

 

"Go be sappy and stare at the stars on a different rooftop, hipster." Victoria's annoyed voice cut through the still air like a bullet, impacting Max's chest and making it squeeze with anxiety. Lately Victoria had softened greatly after seeing how much she'd hurt Kate and had gone a long way to righting her wrongs. But that hadn't made her a saint.

 

"Ugh are you listening or do I need to give you English lessons?" Victoria had stood up from her seat near the edge of the roof and walked forward, where Max could see her better. Mascara was streamed down her cheeks and her eyes looked puffy. She'd been crying. 

 

"What's wrong?" Max blurted out without thinking, by Victoria's expression she knew that wasn't the expected answer. 

 

"What's wrong? Let me tell you what's wrong,  _Maxine._ " Victoria came closer and pointed the neck of a whiskey bottle at her. "There isn't enough booze in the world to make me better than you and your FUCKING GIFT." Victoria practically screamed the last two words. 

 

It took Max a moment to process before it hit her, she was quoting Mr Jefferson from earlier that day who seemed insistent on expressing just how much of a gift Max had at least once a week. 

 

"I-I'm not better than you Victoria." Max stumbled half a step back, smelling the alcohol on her breath. 

 

"Bullshit Max." Victoria declared, still advancing on Max and reaching a hand out towards her face. "You're so much better than me. Prettier, more skilled, kinder." Victoria's voice was soft and soaked in pain. 

 

"Vic-" Max started, but got cut off.

 

"I want to kiss you." Victoria's eyes were lidded and her voice low. Max shivered and swallowed, Victoria was drunk and this wasn't right. 

 

"N-no Victoria, you've drank too much and we're on the  _roof_ for God's sake." The smaller girl protested, starting to shake slightly from the bite of the wind. 

 

"Hush now little doe, I'd never hurt  _mon bel ange_." Victoria whispered, lowering her face towards Max's and she couldn't help but allow Victoria to kiss her, deciding that pushing her away would not go down well. 

 

Instead she grabbed Victoria by her arms and gently prized her off, ignoring her displeased sounds and vague threats that ranged from making her regret her entire life to being punished for this. 

 

Max pulled Victoria down off the roof, supported her unsteady descent down the flights of stairs and held her hand as they walked down the corridor to their rooms. 

 

"Max, spend the night with me." Victoria asked softy and as she leant against her door. Her face looked scared and there was no hint of seduction left. Max couldn't leave her like that, no way.

 

"Okay, just let me change first." Max managed to get out, relieved when Victoria nodded her assent. 

 

Once back inside her room, Max breathed a huge sigh and the first thing she saw was her clock, 3am. Shaking her head she changed into a different shirt and shorts, taking a deep breath before stepping back out into the corridor and an even deeper one before nocking softly on the opposite door, which swung open immediately.

 

Victoria hadn't exactly changed, just removed her outer clothes and now stood in only her underwear and didn't respond to Max's raised eyebrows, only walked over to her bad and basically dropped onto it, positioning herself by the wall after a few seconds. 

 

Max shut the door and had to take yet another deep breath before walking over and getting into the bed behind Victoria, who was facing away from her. 

 

"Hold me." Victoria mumbled out, and so Max did as she was told and scooted closer, draping her arm over Victoria's middle and pressing herself up against her back. Victoria made a contented noise that made Max's heart swell. 

 

It wasn't long before the pattern of Victoria's breathing became regular and soft, having fallen asleep. What surprised Max was that her eyelids were drooping and she was losing her grasp on consciousness. Finally, she could sleep.


End file.
